A Girl's Guide to Decorating - Abighail Ahern*

I am amazed I have found the time to blog today in between work projects and trying to find a new home. Lunch was a diet coke at my desk and tomorrow will be an early work train : (. I've been reading A Girl's Guide to Decorating on my way to work. It's by interior design hero Abigail Ahern [if you haven't been to her Upper St Islington shop - go]. At first I was worried it was going to be a bit condescending [how to hold a screwdriver if you are a girl etc] but it's not. It shows how to do useful DIY tasks - things that you will do yourself like paint floorboards - if you are a hands on kind of girl like me. The book also talks about space planning, and other key design considerations like lighting. I painted my lounge in Crown 'Downpipe' last year, pictured. I love Abigail's design, mostly because she's not afraid to use dark colours - and it works.

Happy New Trincket* year

Happy New Year to you all. My resolution this year [is it something to do with the grey, white, icey, snowy London?] is to live with some colour. Purple, orange, red, blue. This image from cool Amsterdam furniture store The Frozen Fountain is a good place to start. I'm going to use it as inspiration for my next loft space interior project. Furniture is by Marquina, Nani, Eek, Hein, Piet and Fascari. If there is one thing you do this month, check out their designs. I am going to look for a new house to buy now - wish me luck!

Oversize Christmas decorations from Trincket*

Well it's only one and a half days to go until Christmas - cue high pitchedness. If you have left decorating to the last minute [although if you are like me, the tree was up and decorated in November] I found some inspiration at Westfield shopping centre the other day in the form of oversized paper decorations. Having high ceilings helps to pull off this Christmas look. I love to group the decos together in cheery bright colours. Most of all, I love how the oversize shapes play with scale. There is something Alice in Wonderland about hanging a giant paper bell in your hall! Merry Christmas everyone. [DZD and REfound Objects do paper baubles].

Christmas at Trincket*

This is [one of] my dream christmas lounges. It's the 'modernist' favorite - stacked logs, woodburner, traditional tree and large floor cushions to roll around on after too many ferrero rocher.

Bathroom with marble detailing by Laufen*

The marble detailing on this contemporary bathroom is the favorite thing i have seen this week. By Swiss bathroom products manufacturer Laufen.

Papier mache baubles - Niki Jones*

It's mid November. Time to start thinking about christmas decorations. I love these papier mache baubles designed by Niki Jones. They have a folksy, colourful vibe. Available from Niki's website, £22 for a set of four [round or teardrop style]. I also came across a fantastic and extremely addictive site called DZD who specialise in christmas decorations and props. I particularly like their oversize decorations, which seem to be very fashionable this year. Is it too early to put my tree up now?

Loveseat - Jake Phipps*

Today is breakthrough day on my garden studio project. I love breakthrough day. I have found the most beautiful seat that will be the room's focal point and is functional. The Loveseat by Jake Phipps is hand carved from one piece of cedarwood. When I first saw it I thought it was a sculpture. But you can sit on it and it's comfy! The Victorians invented the concept of the love seat to whisper restrained sweet nothings to one another. This contemporary design brings it bang up to date. I love the idea of sitting on a 40-year old carved out piece of tree: ) Available from Hidden Art for £2350, manufactured by Riva 1920 Industria Mobili SpA .

I Want to Rock with You print*

I treated myself this week to some new artwork for my wall. I spied it in Living Etc. It's by a very cool company based in Swansea yumalum. Called I Wanna Rock with you, it's tres graphic and features the design classic Eames rocker. You can buy for around £25 on Etsy. Now all I need is an Eames rocker to go with it, hope my boyfriend is reading this...

Nicki Dobree ski lodge envy*

I have Nicki Dobree ski lodge envy. Ok - I can't ski, don't like skiing, but I could do a luxury ski lodge. Co_sy!

Country cottage*

I went to stay at my friend's country cottage on Saturday. She wants me to help her plan her interior schemes, so inevitably I've been giving cottage style some thought. Seemingly I can't escape it - it's featured everywhere in the interiors press right now. I wonder why that is? Maybe it's because the clocks changed and we're all thinking about cosying up indoors next to the open fire. And country cottages are most definitely snug. [I am 5'9 and discovered their low ceilings and small proportioned rooms were not really designed for tall people].

Modern rustic is one of my favorite styles right now [especially for kitchens] and this would be the obvious design approach. A cooler scheme [pale gray's, white washed floorboards, cute chandeliers, distressed furniture and small florals] is another approach. I saw two great design approaches for cottages in the Dec 09 issue of Living Etc. Sarah's converted Tudor cottage caught my imagination not just because she has chosen to put a highly modern interior in an 15th cottage, but more for her playing with scale [the white Panton chairs and floorsize Anglepoise lamp are super-size, but they work]. Maybe country cottages aren't that predictable after all.

Charlotte Mann murals*

Charlotte Mann's wonderfully intricate murals are hand drawn in marker pen onto white emulsion [yes I said hand drawn!]. My favorite mural by Mann is her work at India Knight's house - check out the trompe d'oeil window and the quirky radiator cover. Also the contrast between the orange Kartell light and blue marker pen is stunning. Her work starts at upwards of £1,000 but worth it - imagine getting your own unique, bespoke mural and the glow you'd get from supporting a talented artist. I hope she wins British Surface Designer of the Year 2009. Vote for her at http://www.thebritishdesignawards.com/.

A London Autumn*

How stunning are the colours on this modern stack chest of drawers from Established & Sons? Getting me right in the mood for autumn, yee ha
Available from Nest.co.uk

Swan chair 1958 - Arne Jacobsen*

The swan chair is perfect for my next project - an eco house for a garden designer. Its stunning organic curves will bring the outside in

Grand Hotel, Stockholm*

I was at Tent at the London Design Festival a few weeks back eyeing up lovely stuff and had to restrain myself from running off with some Isle Crawford chairs at the De La Espada stand. It reminded me of the chairs she uses in her recent interiors redesign of the Grand Hotel Sweden. I love how the high backed chairs let in the light beautifully but also make the seated feel so snug. She calls it 'seating for eating'. The light fittings at the Grand are just stunning - they include an artichoke light by Danish designer Poulsen and some delicate ceiling hung low pendants designed by Michael Anastassiades. I need to get me some Stockholm holiday time.

Modern rustic kitchen*

I am supposed to be researching garden eco studio for a project but find myself thinking about kitchens, and styling them. Maybe I will design a kitchen in 'modern rustic style' for our next house. Or maybe not. But it's nice wasting time thinking about it. I could contrast some glossy white surfaces and units with beautifully grained wood. An Aga would look stunning, but is a big fat cliche these days [and an eco nightmare], so maybe a silver range cooker would be better. I could expose some beams and floorboards, paint them white and satin varnish them. And stick a big old table in the middle of the room and invite everyone around. I could accessorise with copper pots, industrial metal signs and a Dualit toaster, and show off beautiful ceramics on open shelving. I could go on, and waste the rest of my day on this...

Cassina Refolo sofa*

Hello Cassina Refolo sofa, I love you.
Maybe I can use it in my next project. By Charlotte Perriand at Nest

Upcycling Zoe Murphy style*

A gold star for Zoe Murphy, the new kid on the British design scene. It's hard to make beautiful, original furniture, and even harder to do it with a eco-conscious approach.

She says 'most of her work is focused on trying to draw attention to furniture and textile pieces that are otherwise left unloved and disregarded'. Her approach is to take classic pieces, mostly in the mid-century modern style and 'upcycle' them using processes such as patchworking and veneering. So her pieces are contemporary but with a history to tell. I love it.